Title
Web vs phone based service experiences: Effects of emotions on customer satisfaction across sectors
Author
Simons, L.P.A.
de Reuver, M.
Langley, D.J.
Attema-van Waas, A.R.
Hoeve, M.C.
Hulsbergen, F.
de Koning, N.M.
TNO Informatie- en Communicatietechnologie
Publication year
2011
Abstract
Empirical studies show that emotions mediate the impact of perceived service quality on customer satisfaction. In this paper, we explore how the mediating effect of emotions differs between web and telephone encounters. In addition, we explore if this mediating effect differs across three service industries that rely heavily on telephone and web customer care: telecommunications, energy and banking. We use SEM to analyze a large-scale consumer survey (N = 2872) in telecommunication, energy and banking sectors. Emotions partially mediate the effect on customer satisfaction, both for telephone-based (25% mediation) and web-based service encounters (21%). When distinguishing positive and negative emotions, the mediating effect of negative emotions is much stronger. While mediation takes place in all three sectors, negative emotions in phone-based service encounters are more important in telecommunications, while negative emotions in web-based encounters are more important in banking industry. We advise firms to use explicit emotion evoking strategies for positive service experiences and emotion reducing strategies for negative ones.
Subject
Organisation
SBA - Strategic Business Analysis
EELS - Earth, Environmental and Life Sciences
Customer satisfaction
Emotions
Loyalty
Mediating effects
Multi-channel
Service experience
Telephone
Web
Behavioral research
Sales
Social networking (online)
Telecommunication services
Telephone
Telephone sets
Websites
Emotions
Loyalty
Mediating effect
Multi channel
Service experience
Web
Customer satisfaction
To reference this document use:
http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:7e1de59b-f9e0-47d9-b5cd-8117b0ebee20
TNO identifier
534068
Publisher
Bled eCommerce Conference
Source
24th Bled eConference - eFuture: Creating Solutions for the Individual, Organisations and Society, 12 June 2011 through 15 June 2011, 114-127
Article number
52
Document type
conference paper